


The Misadventures of Gold

by thecompletebookworm



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Baelfire will be included I just did not feel comfortable tagging him yet as he hasn't appeared, F/M, Fairy AU, Fairygodmother AU, in which I ignore some established magical law
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 10:46:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13098465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecompletebookworm/pseuds/thecompletebookworm
Summary: Belle has finally achieved her dream of becoming a fairy godmother, but it's much more than she bargained for.  She's scaring the other fairies with her dedication to protecting her first charge, a dedication that only grows into something more as he gets older. Blue's convinced it's dangerous, for both of them.  But how can something that feels so right, be wrong?  Original Prompt: Belle protects Rumple AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ml101](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ml101/gifts).



She had waited far too long for her wings. She’d thought Blue had just given up on her, her clumsiness too much for a position of power. Belle was already sick of chasing down fairy dust thieves and talking to the dwarves (except not really talking to the dwarves. That would have at least been interesting if they actually talked about something other than just dust. To hear about people who lived all their lives underground: Something so different from the open sky and fruit trees that she was so accustomed to. But no, the only thing they cared about was dust.)

That was another thing that annoyed Blue. All her questions. Too many questions. About everything really, about the world, about the people they cared for, about their enemies, about their allies.   She wanted more than the simple life that she was owed as an under-fairy. She didn’t even have a color yet for goodness sakes. She did not have any right to ask for so much knowledge.   But it was what she craved over just about anything.

So that’s how Belle got here, sitting on a flower in her shrunken state hoping to see more of the human marketplace today. They were so lively always with children running around, and shouts as merchants tried to get anyone to buy their wares. It was an adventure, one that she hadn’t been able to take part in herself. Well it looked like an adventure. She was sure that even if she had been a human among them, this wouldn’t be enough for her. This would have been too little, just some small boring provincial town.

Her flower bounced as a gleaming caravan came brushed past her vantage point on the edge of the road. The fact there were new people at all was a surprise. But their small caravan almost gleamed. The wheels were spattered with large amounts of mud. The balding man was the first to exit it. Hop down from the vehicle before it had even stopped.   He motioned then for another person, a kid she realized as she looked at the small shape wrapped endlessly in little bits of cloth as if enough threadbare rags could be the perfect substitute for a cloak. The man held out his arms and the little boy hesitantly jumped into them, a shoe coming off on the way down. The boy’s shoes were at least 2 sizes too big so it shouldn’t have been such a big surprise as a shoe hit the cobblestone with a soft thud.

The caravan pulled to an abrupt halt at that. There was a faint cry from the driver, then heavy footsteps.

 With a glare, the father shoved the boy into the trees.   The boy stumbled uneasily, nearly toppling over into the dirt.   Still the boy got up, merely brushed off his hands on his already filthy pants, patently ignoring his father’s death glare. When the little boy looked in Belle’s direction, despite knowing it was impossible with her distance and minute size, those little brown eyes stared into her soul. It was a feeling unlike anything else, like this was perfection.

“I knew it would be any day now.”

Belle was forcibly brought back to reality by her mentor’s voice. Blue had appeared out of nowhere with a smug smile on her face.

“What do you mean?   Belle asked still trying to keep the boy in view even as he trudged behind his father into the forest and away from the nosy caravan driver Although Belle supposed now that he had only been nosy because he had been unaware of his extra cargo.  

“Your first child!” Blue stated, in a slightly condescending manner as if that should be obvious to belle.  

“Oh,” Belle had heard about the moment of connection. It was one of the reasons Blue allowed her frequent visits to human villages.   You were just supposed to know, when you had found your child. Once you had been established as a fairy godmother, you knew simply from birth. But the first child was different.

Purple had described it more of like a prick. Gray a shock.  

Belle hadn’t imagined that when she finally found her fit that it would feel so comfortable so normal, well normal wasn’t quite the right word, it was most definitely a rush of emotions. But they weren’t unwelcome or shocking. It was just like the world had become a little more comfortable, a little more full of positivity and that change was instantaneous. As soon as she saw him, toddling along in shoes too big and without a cloak despite the fog around his breath, everything had suddenly made sense.

“Gold are you even listening?’

Belle quickly realized she had been ignoring her elder.   “Wait what did you just call me?”

”Well, Gold since you have now found a child, your other name is now obsolete. You have earned your color and your wand.”

A pang ran through Belle. She was getting what she always wanted, her wand, her destiny, but she hadn’t realized she’d have to lose herself to do it.

Blue seemed to sense her unease. “Your old name serves no purpose. You have dedicated your life from here on out to the children in your care. You are worth more than yourself now. Your old name still exists obviously but it isn’t one of importance.”    

“Like how some people get your attention by saying Reul Ghorm?” Belle asked, partially for clarification, and partially to stop her mentor’s patronizing.

“Precisely. My name is so archaic it serves no purpose besides summoning particular distraught children. I have no real use for it, but if it can save the child from the other option, I will let that name live on.” 

Belle did not need Blue to elaborate on the other option. The Dark One, one being that even Belle’s curiosity did not lend her to seek out. He would eat a fairy like her for breakfast, raw or roasted.  

Blue held a wand in front of her, her wand Belle realized, a pleasant shiver running down her spine.

“Gold, are you willing to look after this child as long as he lives?”

“Yes of course”

Belle reached out to grab the sparkling gold wand. She hadn’t thought much of her color before. It seemed most fairies simply got whatever color they wore most often. And while that was blue for her, so Belle knew that was never going to be an option. She figured she’d get something obscure. Maroon or Chartreuse. Just whatever was available really, but she’d still never thought of Gold.

“You must swear it.” Blue said a she jerked the wand away. “Swear on the child’s name.”

“But I don’t know-“

“You do look inside yourself.”

Belle unconsciously smiled as she imagined the little boy again. Light brown hair flopping in the wind, toothy grin even as he followed his annoyed father, deep brown eyes.   

Rumplestiltskin. The name bubbled to her lips almost without her consent. “I swear to protect Rumplestiltskin for as long as he shall live." 


	2. Chapter 2

It had stated off as small things, following behind him, occasionally sending a warming charm his way. She knew she was supposed to be frugal with her magic, because nothing was free.   It would only last a short amount of time. And she couldn’t recast it too often for every time she did the spell got weaker. She supposed that was the price. For using it now, she might not be able to use it later. But she said to herself as she saw him shivering as her trudged along or his lips began to look bluish as he helped Malcolm present his games to the villages they passed through, there might not be a later if she did not act now. So warming charms were cast and she looked for ways to help him, to protect her little Rumplestiltskin.  

Sometimes others would get on her case. “What could be so interesting about this child.” “Just wait until you have more than one, and then you’ll understand.” The other fairies only interfered in deadly occasions or for deepest wishes. They couldn’t understand warming spells.

“Everyone’s cold. For gods sake, Gold, I’m cold.” Silver grumbled.  

But things felt different. She could bear to see Silver cold (old complainer that she was) but to see Rumple like that and not do anything was unacceptable. Belle reasoned the others had simply forgotten the thrill of being a godmother for their first time.  

When Rumple cried, Belle could almost never stop herself from stepping in. It wasn’t always magic either. Some things could easily be solved other ways. Slipping some food through the window of the cottage, a blanket wrapped around his small form as he slept, his little breeches mended during the night when he thought his aunts would kick him out for disobeying them and climbing the trees. Even as she gained other charges, Belle never stopped keeping a close eye on him. And while she knew she really wasn’t supposed to have favorites, Rumple was undeniably her favorite.

 Belle bounced up the path to the market, her excitement and current lack of wings the only thing keeping her on the ground.  She hoped to remain discreet, human-sized with her cloak pulled up over her head. Belle wasted no time going over to the small cart with its crooked hand-painted sign that read "Flora and Fauna's Fabrics".   Belle ran a hand over the bunches of thread. A jolt hit her as she touched a light blue one and she knew Rumple had made this one. She picked it up and held it close while trying to find her charge in the crowd.  

 "We figured you'd be here."   A wrinkled hand on Belle's shoulder spun her back toward the cart.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," Belle stuttered, trying to remain calm.

The older woman merely smiled a toothless grin. "Now when Malcolm was going on about being threatened by a fairy, we thought he'd just gotten too much to drink that night."  

A second old woman walked up to the cart carrying a small basket full of buttons. "You thought it was too much too drink. I thought Rumple would be just the sort of kid to have a fairy godmother."

"Awww Flora, you know I'm the type of person who wouldn't believe in magic if it bit me on the nose."  

"And if you don't open your eyes, it just might."   Flora gestured wildly, practically knocking the thread from Belle's hands and still catching it before it could even hit the ground. "He's over there, love, I know why you're really here."    

Belle allowed her eyes to follow Flora's finger. Rumple was sitting on a tree stump at the edge of the market while the other children played around him.   But then she forced her eyes to focus once again on the thread in front of her.  

"Obviously, I'm here for the thread."   Belle deadpanned, even as the back of her mind worried if the children were treating him okay. It hadn't been too long since she'd been able to convince Malcolm, as he lay nearly passed out on the floor of a jail cell, that his son needed the more stable lifestyle of his sisters-in-law.

As Fauna rang her up, Flora gave her the brief update. "He's doing fine. A brilliant spinner as I'm sure you can tell. A little lonely, but its been at least a decade since anyone's accused us of witchcraft, so it's not like the children are being warned away from him. He's just small and quiet and new.   They'll warm up soon enough."

Belle's face must have betrayed your relief, but then it hardened slightly.   "How can you be sure?"

"Because he's a good boy. I'm sure you noticed that."

Belle couldn't stop herself from nodding.

"And goodness often comes with its own reward."

No matter how unnatural the other fairies thought it was, Belle kept going back to the market. It was with relief and no small amount of joy that she saw her charge grow up.

He was quieter than the other children, but seemed like he fit in with them now. She could see them out of the corner of her eye, fencing with twigs, while Fauna gave her a knowing smile. He was growing up so quickly. Although based on the way his peers still dwarfed him, he wasn't getting much taller.

Belle's heart practically leapt out of her chest the day he was the one who was able to help her find thread and she got to talk to him in person. He gave her a quirky little smile, one she couldn't help but return.

"I've seen you around here before." It wasn't really a question, but still his brown eyes demanded an answer. "You're not from the village."

"Just a stranger from the village over. I appreciate quality when I see it." She made an unnecessary gesture toward the thread. This felt forbidden even though it technically wasn't, to speak with him so freely. Typically she'd only ever speak to him if he called on her directly, or if given orders from Blue.

He handed her the thread and she stored it in the cloth bag she carried. "My aunts and I appreciate your patronage. Does the pretty stranger happen to have a name?"

She tried to stop herself from blushing but from the grin on his face, she was unsuccessful. "Belle, my name is Belle"

"While Miss Belle, I look forward to seeing you in a fortnight."

Yes. A fortnight, the next market day. She nodded stiffly. This was merely pride. She was happy with how he was doing; his happiness meant her success after all.

And it certainly wasn't jealousy that coursed through her veins when the butcher's daughter kissed him a few years latter. Belle was not nearly as attached as the other fairies thought she was, no this was just a jolt of surprise at how time passed so quickly. It certainly didn't have anything to do with the fact that she liked his smile and his laugh and the way his touches lingered when he wanted to show her something. And it had absolutely nothing to do with how happy she would be if it was her lips he crashed into. Absolutely nothing at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about this. My brain is a frustrating place sometimes. I have chapter 5 and the epilogue done, and I can't even say much because this chapter has been done for a while it just felt too short so I neglected to post thinking inspiration would finally strike but I thought I might as well, it's not going to get better and I have nothing else better to do. (That's a lie I have midterms all of this week and I'm trying to stave off a panic.)


End file.
